Reports: Tennessee YMCA Branch Knew of Sexual Assaults by Former Advisory Board Member

A male member of the Maryland Farms YMCA alleges in a lawsuit that another male member sexually assaulted him and that the Y's staff knew of similar allegations about the defendant's behavior prior to his complaints, according to media reports.

A man has filed sexual assault lawsuit against the YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the alleged assailant seeking $1 million, according to media reports.

The plaintiff, Adam Boswell, said he was assaulted multiple times by defendant Jack Dabney at the Maryland Farms YMCA in Brentwood, Tennessee, and Dabney was allowed to keep his membership at the facility amid the allegations, according to reports from The Tennessean and News Channel 5. Dabney, who was a former advisory board member for the Brentwood Y, is no longer a member of the YMCA, according to a YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee statement published by News Channel 5.

The alleged incidents occurred in July 2015 and in February at the facility. Boswell said he was in the Jacuzzi after a July 10, 2015, workout when Dabney sat next to him and forcibly reached into his clothing and committed the sexual assault, according to The Tennessean, citing the lawsuit. Dabney allegedly sexually assaulted Boswell on July 17, 2015, in the steam room, according to The Tennessean.

Boswell allegedly notified YMCA staff and complained about Dabney's actions after the second incident, according to The Tennnessean. The YMCA staff allegedly knew of similar actions alleged against Dabney prior to Boswell's complaints, according to News Channel 5, citing the lawsuit.

Boswell said he notified the YMCA director after another incident in the steam room with Dabney on Feb. 12 and then notified the YMCA executive director after Dabney confronted him in the locker room on Feb. 19, according to The Tennessean.

"We haven’t been served with the lawsuit at this point, and we will answer the allegations in the lawsuit in court after we are served," Dabney's lawyer, Jonathan Farmer, told The Tennessean. "I am in general aware of the allegations in the lawsuit, and Mr. Dabney denies assaulting anyone at any time anywhere ever."

The YMCA Foundation of Middle Tennessee issued this statement to News Channel 5:

As has been reported, there has been a lawsuit filed against the YMCA of Middle Tennessee alleging that an adult male YMCA member was sexually assaulted by another adult male member at the Maryland Farms Y.

Since we have not yet been served, we are in the process of collecting information about the lawsuit. When we receive the lawsuit, we will review it with legal counsel and respond as appropriate. However, we do want to clarify that the YMCA is not under criminal investigation.

At the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, our primary concern is the safety of the members and guests in our facilities.

We fully cooperated with local law enforcement earlier this year when they investigated this matter and will continue to cooperate in any further investigation.